Tenn. workers' comp reform advances in Legislature

Duane Marsteller
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Mar 13, 2013 at 12:13 PM

NASHVILLE — Gov. Bill Haslam’s proposed workers’ compensation overhaul, more than a year in the making, is now on the legislative fast track.

The measure on Tuesday easily flew through a pair of committees, including one that limited public comment on the 68-page bill to a few minutes. The proposal now seems poised for swift approval in the Republican-controlled legislature over opponents’ accusations that it is being rushed through with little debate.

That wasn’t the case before the House Consumer and Human Resources Committee, which heard nearly two hours of comments on House Bill 194 before advancing it on a 7-3 party-line vote.

The Senate companion (SB 200) had an easier time, unanimously clearing the Commerce and Labor Committee. It allowed a scant seven minutes of public comment, evenly split between each side, because members previously had heard arguments during a pre-committee meeting last week.